Vegetarian Lumpia (Filipino Spring Rolls)

Lumpia is Filipino spring rolls, typically filled with pork and vegetables, then deep fried. But not this one! I made Lumpiang Gulay (Vegetarian Lumpia), filled with goodies like sweet potato, tofu, green beans, carrots, cabbage, and bean sprouts, then baked them for an even healthier take on this classic Filipino recipe.

I really love vegetarian lumpia – when I was home in Manila for my two-month vacation (I know, I’m very lucky), I think I ate this at least once a week. Tita Ine, my nanny/aunt/best cook ever, would make a big batch to keep in the fridge, and just fry a few for lunch. Sometimes she would add in some chopped shrimp, but I prefer the plain vegetable version. I love the crispy wrapper and the mix of veggies inside, dipped in a sauce made with vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic.

When Dan and I cooked Filipino food a couple of weeks ago, we made super indulgent pork belly adobo, turon (essentially plaintains and brown sugar in spring roll wrappers, which sounds delicious in theory, but unfortunately our attempt is going into the archives of kitchen fails…) and this Vegetarian Lumpia. Admittedly, Dan pretty much did everything for the lumpia, while I sat around and ate the filling:

I know it’s not very pretty, but the veggies are already cooked and seasoned, and it is very good. In fact, last week I made this exact lumpia recipe again, but didn’t have any spring roll wrappers, so I just ate the filling. This vegetarian lumpia filling served on its own is also a common Filipino dish called lumpiang hubad, which literally translates as naked lumpia.

I got a few rolling tips from Dan, too, who said it’s just like rolling a burrito:

You start by placing the filling near the center of the wrapper, leaving enough space on the sides. Take a corner (or the edge of the wrapper nearest you), fold over the filling and start rolling, stopping about halfway. Take the corners on the sides and fold inward, and continue rolling until you reach the end. You can seal the spring rolls with an egg wash or just water.

Spring roll wrappers are available in most grocery stores, but we found that the ones from Asian grocery stores are thinner, and that’s what we used. Make sure you get spring roll wrappers and not wonton wrappers. Brushing a little oil or even butter on the lumpia before baking ensures that the wrapper crisps up nicely.

Another good thing about this recipe is that you only use one pan to cook everything (plus the baking sheet). You can also customize the filling with your favorite vegetables, but this is the traditional mixture.

Remove vegetables from pan and add to mixing bowl with tofu. Toss everything together. You may have to mash the tofu if you cooked it in bigger rectangles to combine it with the rest of the vegetables. Season filling with salt, pepper, and sesame oil.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Peel spring roll wrappers apart and roll lumpia with about a quarter cup filling in each.

Brush or spray lumpia with olive oil or melted butter, and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the rolls over and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve warm.

For the dipping sauce, combine 1/4 cup white or cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 finely chopped or grated garlic clove. You can also add a little grated ginger or a little bit of brown sugar.

I hope you guys like the recipes from the Philippines! If you’re interested in any specific dish, please let me know. You can also check out my other Filipino recipes. I’d love to hear from you if you end up making any.

I was watching a show a while back featuring a Filipino restaurant in NYC. It was so interesting because I know so little about the food. This restaurant does this weekly event where they spread out a feast – including the fried version of these rolls (I think) – and everyone sits down and eats with their hands. The food looked amazing. I adore your vegetarian, baked version here. That’s something I can do at home!

Hi, Rosa. That’s not a silly question at all! The spring roll wrappers we used are not the same as the rice paper wrappers (which are much thinner and transluscent). We used spring roll wrappers – or egg roll wrappers – which were essentially very thin squares of dough (think of a thicker phyllo/filo). If you go to a Shaw’s or Stop and Shop, they’re usually located right near the tofu :) Hope that helps!